Traveler, Adventurer, Entrepreneur
Unfortunately, Dushanbe was not my last experience with the Tajik cops. As I stayed in Dushanbe to deal with some stolen items and recover from an extra gnarly bout of diarrhea, Detti continued onward by bicycle alone. I planned to hitchhike to catch up with her in Kulob in a Continue Reading
Tajikistan’s police are rumored to be corrupt bribe-mongers, but my experience was different. They were ridiculously, over-the-top helpful, in the most inefficient way possible. Rumor has it that a couple years ago, some Romanian motorbikers posted a video on YouTube of Tajik cops extorting a bribe from them. The video Continue Reading
“Hey, let’s go to Central Asia because they have really good food!” said no one ever. The post-soviet countries often clumped together as the ‘stans (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan) have never been known for their rich cuisine, but there are, in fact, a few gems amongst the vats of Continue Reading
After a month in the hot flat deserts of Uzbekistan, crossing the border into the Panjikent region of Tajikistan felt magical. Ahead of us lay a perfect asphalt road winding up a mountain valley with the snow-capped peaks of the Fann Mountains in the distance. This was the place that Continue Reading
We left Karakalpakstan on the road from Nukus to Khiva, entering into the non-autonomous regions of Uzbekistan. The road paralleled the Amu Darya river, surrounded by agriculture on both sides and desert beyond the river basin. The river once led to the Aral Sea, but has since been redirected for Continue Reading
In the western part of Uzbekistan, there is pretty much nothing. For a very very long flat distance. This place is called Karakalpakstan. Karakalpakstan was once a flourishing region with a thriving agriculture and fishing industry supported by the mighty Amu Darya River and the Aral Sea. Thanks to the Continue Reading
Western Kazakhstan has desert, camels, awesome dairy products, some more desert, oil, more desert, and the city of Aktau. First stop: the supermarket. I was excited to see Tan, Central Asia’s salty sour carbonated milk drink that is ever so refreshing on a hot summer day. After downing a bottle, Continue Reading
Azerbaijan is a strange country. The center of the capital city, Baku, is like any oil-rich capital city: clean, modern, expensive, offering all of the comforts of the developed world. Cranes dot the skyline as shiny new skyscrapers are constantly being built, and a brand new boulevard along the waterfront Continue Reading
A month ago, I went to a used bike market in Tbilisi and left with a pretty decent looking $180 bicycle. A couple days later I boarded a train to Baku with my new bike and all of my most important belongings. Baku would be the starting point for a Continue Reading
There comes a point in most travelers’ lives where they feel the need to give back to the world. As travelers, we receive so much help from other people – home cooked meals, couches to sleep on, showers and washing machines, free rides in cars – with no expectation of Continue Reading
